Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新) urged China yesterday to take a hint from the recent detente in Northeast Asia and dismantle the hundreds of ballistic missiles that it had deployed against Taiwan along its southeastern coast.
Chien told a news conference that Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's just-concluded visit to North Korea is of great significance and would certainly help promote peace, security and economic prosperity in Northeast Asia.
Koizumi attended a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang Tuesday.
Noting that relations between Japan and North Korea have seen many twists and turns over the past 50-plus years, Chien said the historic meeting between the top leaders of the two countries is conducive to regional peace and stability.
Just in June this year, Chien said, Japan and South Korea co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup -- and North and South Korea have held ground-breaking ceremonies for the construction of a railway and a highway linking the two parts of the Korean peninsula.
"All these developments point to gradual reconciliation among `old rivals' in Northeast Asia," Chien noted. "In contrast to this trend, China has deployed up to 400 ballistic missiles along its southeastern coast opposite Taiwan and the number of missiles is increasing at an estimated 50 each year."
China's missile deployment has induced fears among Taiwan's people and goes against the prevailing trend of detente in the region, Chien said.
Earlier this month, Chien said, the European Parliament passed a resolution expressing its stance on maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait and urged China to dismantle its Taiwan-targeted missiles and to disarm gradually.
"We are hopeful that mainland leaders can draw inspiration from these fresh developments and resume dialogue with Taiwan to safeguard regional peace and security and boost the well-being of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait," Chien added.
RSS